Dear Parishioners,

I pray that this letter finds you well and safe with your loved ones. I am writing to remind you of our annual Stewardship Program. If you were at Mass this past weekend, will be a review of what we mentioned last weekend at Mass. However, many are not at Mass in person due to Covid-19. This week’s Mass we heard from the Book of Wisdom which claimed that it is prudent to keep vigil for the coming of wisdom in our lives. We also heard from St. Paul to the Thessalonians who wanted to remind us that we should be people of hope who are prepared for the Second Coming Christ. In the Gospel, Jesus (who is the Bridegroom) spoke about the wise virgins who kept their lamps lit waiting for the bridegroom to come. These text harmonize a message that we need to hear now more than ever.

Our lives, during this pandemic, have all been impacted in one way or another. Some have been hit financially, some spiritually, some socially, and some, sadly, by the virus itself. I hope that these words of Scripture offer some solace and encouragement to know that God is bigger than it all and that we need to pray for wisdom in order to weather the storms that come upon us, for our Lord will certainly return and put all things right. In the meantime, we are called to help prepare people by being the presence of Christ here and now.

The mission of the Church stands to help, accompany, and pray for all as we approach that day when Christ will come. The Church has been the singular greatest agent for change and goodness in the world since Christ commissioned her to go out into the and proclaim the Good News.

Locally, St. Anne does this by annually calling us to review our stewardship of our time, talent, and treasure. The events of our time make some of these things very difficult and adjustments may be needed. So, I am asking you to pray about how God has called you to this mission of sharing the Gospel and how you can be part of that mission through St. Anne. We have many different ministries that may help you be active with your time and talent. Some may be temporarily paused due to the pandemic, but it would still be helpful to communicate with the parish about where you would like to start or continue serving at St. Anne. This sharing of time and talent is one aspect of stewardship. Another is by reflecting on your financial giving to the parish so that we can continue this important mission. To be clear, it takes money to be good stewards with the amazing facilities we have, particularly our new church. But, the offertory donations of the parishioners is the single most important factor determining how we can employ the wonderful talent we call our ministry staff. Without our staff, our mission is at risk.

Next week, we will spend time during the homily filling out our annual Commitment Cards whereby we express how we plan to be good stewards with our time, talent, and treasure. As part of being accountable to our parishioners, we offer the financial report for St. Anne in this brochure. In addition, you will find a copy of the commitment card which you can either cut out and complete prior to Mass or during Mass. If you forget to fill out the commitment card prior to coming to church this coming weekend, we will hand out these cards at each of the Masses.

Please keep all of this these things which I have discussed in your prayers. God is at work and desires to use us as his stewards of his grace. Let us commit to being those good stewards, especially in this difficult time. Don’t hesitate to contact me, Fr. Arjie, or Stephen Voehl, our Business Manager if you have any questions.

Blessings,

Fr. William Holtzinger
Pastor